


Blindsided

by Lightshade



Series: The Cobra and The Elephant [1]
Category: To Belong
Genre: Animal Transformation, Gen, M/M, OCs - Freeform, PTSD, Sexual Tension, oblivious to love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 18:44:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17586299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightshade/pseuds/Lightshade
Summary: In a world where everyone has both a human and animal form, Leif takes his commander to see Demus, a soldier who prefers to stay in his snake form. Predictably, things don't go well.





	Blindsided

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this is probably the most random fandom piece I've ever done considering the first episode still hasn't come out yet. BUT. I'm a sucker for good worldbuilding and diverse characters. And TheNamelessDoll has done a fantastic job creating it thus far!
> 
> For those wondering, TheNamelessDoll, a video editor, created an original story using footage from Disney and other animated films about three orphan siblings living in a world where every person has an animal form they can change into. You can find the playlist for it [here.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL339_yyCHKFRhAnMYVot64RNP2zDBpfZq) Eventually, she ran a Kickstarter to make it into an actual original series, which is hopefully coming at some point this year. To find info out about the world, look [here](http://tobelongtheseries.tumblr.com/), [here,](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2aE6vOSlVXMPvOavrBXMw/featured) and most of all [here.](http://thenamelessdoll.tumblr.com/post/178215253376/lore-master-post-animal-form-trivia)
> 
> This little ditty isn't actually inspired by any canon characters, but Roosa seems to love OCs created for her world, so that's how this came about. More notes at the end after you read this!

_I crouch like a crow_  
_Contrasting the snow_  
_For the agony, I'd rather know_  
_'Cause blinded I am blindsided_  
_Peek in, into the peer in_  
_I'm not really like this, I'm probably plightless_  
~Blindsided, Bon Ivar

Why they got along no one could say. The only thing they had in common was that they came from rich, noble families, younger sons who were set to inherit nothing. But in all other respects, they were completely the opposite. Demus was irritable, quick to lash out, and very much a loner. The anger in him burned bright and hot, a product of too many years as being seen as nothing, at least in his own mind. The king cobra form he preferred to be in seemed to suit him perfectly. Leif, on the other hand, was kind and gentle, far more patient and wiser beyond his years than any of his peers. His form was that of an elephant, though less of a war pachyderm, and more of the stereotypical knowledgeable and emotionally even-keeled person that those who possessed their form were said to be.

Indeed, every time Demus was enraged to the point of blind, white-hot anger or went off in one of temper tantrums to sulk over some slight, imagined or real, it was Leif who was sent after him to talk him back down and bring him back to camp. Their commanders likely would’ve let the reptile go for good or hanged him for insubordination by now if he hadn’t proven to be such an asset to their campaign.

It was Leif who was leading a new commander to the tent he and Demus shared in the camp. “I recommend that you let me talk to him at first. Demus can be very temperamental when he wants to be.” Leif paused “Especially with those he hasn’t met,” he added on.

The sergeant walked alongside him, Leif hard-pressed to keep up with his long strides. “Is it true he’s a cripple?” There was a touch of scorn in the man’s voice, as if he couldn’t believe that someone who possessed the inability to walk could somehow be in the army.

Leif’s eyes and mouth tightened around the corners at the term chosen, but he didn’t say anything, just allowing his words to become more clipped. He wasn’t sure that he liked this man at all. “Yes, he can’t walk. It’s the main reason he stays as a cobra most of the time. But I’m sure you’ve heard of his reputation.”

“Only a few stories,” the sergeant replied. There had always been rumors, of course, considering how many enemy leaders had conveniently dropped dead in the past few years. There had to be someone both skilled and deadly that was the reason for it. But no one had ever suspected it to be the work of a lone soldier. Demus was the army’s secret weapon and they preferred to keep him hidden away in the shadows. That was where he did his best work.

When they reached the tent, it was empty. “He’s likely around here sunning himself,” Leif surmised. It was one of Demus’ most enjoyable past-times, not only to warm his cold-blooded nature, but simply to be out in nature, sun on his face, and breeze rippling through the trees.

Sure enough, beyond the tent, there was a large boulder. Curled up on it was the form of a humongous king cobra. He wasn’t moving at all. 

The sergeant was impressed. “Look at the size of him. He’s got to be sixteen feet long at the least.” Demus wasn’t just a large cobra, he was downright huge.

They began to approach. “Demus, I have--” Then suddenly in a flash the snake had reared upwards, hissing a warning that made both men stop right in their tracks.  
Demus been asleep. It hadn’t been obvious with his eyes still open until he was startled into wakefulness. A full third of his body was raised up with his hood flared and the hiss he made was enough to make the hair stand on end on the sergeant’s arm. He immediately shifted into the form of his buffalo self, clothes torn to pieces. Leif, on the other hand, sounded calm, the only sign of stress being how wide his eyes were. “Sergeant, whatever you do, _don’t move_ ,” he said urgently. “Or you might frighten him into attacking.”

“Me frighten _him?_ ” the sergeant said in a low whisper. It was clear he thought the opposite was happening.

Leif seemed to have tuned everything out except for him and the snake. “Easy, Demus. Just calm down. Nothing is going to hurt you here. Will you let me--” He took a step forward and the snake lashed out towards him, mouth closed. It was a warning sign. Back off or pay the price. “Alright, that’s a no.” Leif stared at the snake’s startlingly green eyes, trying to pull him back by sheer force of will. “Come on, old friend. Come back out.”

He’d seen this happen more times than he cared to think about. Demus was trapped somewhere inside his own head, caught in an old memory or nightmare that he couldn’t escape from. Men did terrible things in war and no more so than when you were someone sent to assassinate those on a regular basis. It had left a lot of battle scars that no one else could see. Demus had described it as going somewhere else for a time, a place inside where reality didn’t seem quite as solid as it should.

The stand-off had the seconds tick by with Demus still raised up, hood spread, and hissing softly. “It’s alright, Demus. Neither of us is going to hurt you. Please come back,” Leif said, never breaking eye contact with the snake.

Then the cobra seemed to listen. As Leif pleaded, he indeed came back to himself. It was like watching an ice statue dethaw. First his tail twitched, then his many coils began to ripple. Finally, the hood flattened back down, the far away look in Demus’ eyes leaving as he regained the full measure of himself. “Leif?” He asked, sounding like he was crawling out of the bottom of a well.

Leif breathed a sigh of relief. Trying to bring him back didn’t always work. Sometimes, Demus could stay gone for far longer. He looked from Leif to the sergeant. “Who’s this?” He asked, tongue flicking out to catch the heat patterns coming off the soldier.

“My name is Sergeant--”

“I don’t particularly care,” Demus said. “Leave.”

The sergeant frowned. He clearly wasn’t used to people talking to him like that. “Now wait here a minute! You can’t just--”

Before he could say another word, Demus had slithered forward until he was practically on top of the sergeant’s hooves. There was no chance of him not being able miss now if he struck. “Leave,” he said again. “Or you’ll regret it.” The snake held all the power in this case. His venom was enough to bring down creatures of almost any size, even one as big as a buffalo. Realizing retreat was the better part of valor in this case, the sergeant made a huffing sound, then turned and trotted off.

Leif rubbed one of his temples like he had a headache. “You shouldn’t have done that. Can’t you try to get along with people?”

Demus turned to his best friend. There was a smile in his voice. “I get along fine with you.”

“I’m an exception to the rule.” He knelt down, holding out his arm in an almost automatic manner. Demus slid up his skin, Leif suppressing a small shiver at the cool snake scales rustling over his bare arm. Demus slid all the way up, across his shoulders, and back down the other side until he was resting comfortably like the living snake version of a boa.

He rested his small head against Leif’s shoulder. There was a long sigh from him. “One of these days, I’m going to slip away, and not come back when you call.” It was a dark thought for both men, that Demus might have some attack in his mind he couldn’t sort out.

“I just pray you don’t hurt anyone when that happens.” Leif’s real thought went unspoken, but Demus picked up on it regardless.

“You mean you think I’d hurt you,” Demus said. Leif didn’t answer with his heart in his throat, only giving a short nod that Demus could feel more than see. “I’ll never hurt you, Leif. I never could,” he said, nuzzling his friend affectionately with both the blunted tip of his muzzle and the tongue which continued to flick in and out.

“I know,” Leif said, rubbing the top of Demus’ head with his thumb and forefinger. He was the only one who could pull Demus back when his mind trapped him inside. But was he always going to be enough? He could only pray to whatever god that was listening that he would be.

“What did that sergeant want anyway?” Demus asked.

“He’s just been transferred in. He’s going to be one of your direct supervisors,” Leif said with just a hint of glee in his voice at the fact that Demus had already pissed off one of his superior officers.

Demus groaned loudly. “Of course, he is.” It was just his luck that he’d managed to make a mess of things right off the bat. One of these days, he’d learn not to be so blunt and short-tempered. But that wasn’t today. He gave a rippling sensation of his powerful coils that Leif assumed was a shrug. “Nothing to then but go back to sleep for a bit.” His coils were now mostly pressed up against any inch of Leif’s skin that was bare, seeking the warmth of his best friend’s skin. There was a plaintive, vulnerable note in the cobra’s voice as he asked, “Will you stay with me?” Demus always slept better when Leif was by his side. It was one of the reasons they shared a tent.

Leif ran his fingers under Demus’ chin. “You know I will,” he said. Then he turned around and crawled into the tent with Demus still all around his shoulders. He mused it took a certain kind of friendship with an infinite amount of trust to be willing to let a full-grown king cobra wrap their coils around you.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, Demus' name came around from me playing with Asmodeus, one of the many names for the Devil. Anyone who read Redwall as a child will make the connection as to why that was a particular inspiration. Leif's name came about because I wanted a nature-inspired one that wasn't as obvious as River or Willow. Usually, I struggle for days with names for OCs, but in this case, they just came within hours, and introduced themselves to me, so they stuck. Demus' PTSD episode were inspired by hearing many of them during the course of my last job. I had to hear quite a bit in detail from people how that affected them.
> 
> And yes, in case you are wondering why this piece seems very gay, Demus and Leif do eventually realize they love each other romantically. But right during this particular time period, they're still just very good friends.


End file.
